The present invention relates to a wiper-cooperative washing apparatus used for washing a glass surface of a vehicle, and particularly to a wiper-cooperative washing method capable of adequately adjusting an emission rate of a washing liquid and an emission timing to thereby prevent waste of the washing liquid, and to an apparatus used directly for embodying the method.
In a conventional wiper-cooperative washing apparatus for washing a windshield surface of an automobile or the like, a washer nozzle for emitting a washing liquid toward the windshield surface is provided, on a hood or the like, separately from a wiper. Since the washer nozzle is far apart from the windshield, a crosswind or a headwind causes a problem that washing liquid fails to hit the windshield and scatters, resulting in waste of the washing liquid and dirtying a body of the vehicle itself.
Also, there is a problem that when the windshield surface is washed while the vehicle is stopped, the washing liquid splashes a car or motorcycle, parked or temporarily stopped alongside, or a person walking by or standing alongside, thereby contaminating the vehicle or displeasing the person.
Further, in a wiper-cooperative washing apparatus of this kind, when the body of an automobile is waxed, a washer nozzle may become clogged with wax and consequently may become unusable. To avoid this clogging problem, the diameter of a hole in the washer nozzle must be increased. Additionally, when a washing liquid is emitted while a vehicle is traveling, an excessively intensive emission of the washing liquid causes traces of the emitted liquid and an ununiform liquid film to remain on the windshield surface and to block a driver's view until a wiper blade swings a plurality of times to wipe them off. This endangers traffic safety.
Thus, in recent years, there has been provided a wiper-cooperative washing apparatus for a vehicle in which a washer nozzle is mounted on a wiper with the nozzle and the wiper constituting a single unit, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-8705 or No. 5-97017.
In a conventional wiper-cooperative washing apparatus for a vehicle in which a washer nozzle is mounted on a wiper in a single unit, the washing liquid tends to be over-emitted in order to avoid insufficient or disabled washing or to avoid scratching a glass surface or wearing a wiper blade at a quicker rate due to insufficient supply of a washing liquid. Since an emission rate of the washing liquid is not properly adjusted, a large amount of the washing liquid flows down the glass surface of the vehicle, and a blade rubber fails to completely wipe off the washing liquid. As a result, the washing liquid remains in streaks or stripes on the glass surface and thus deteriorates a driver's view.
To solve this problem, a driver must run only a wiper to wipe off the remaining washing liquid.
Further, in a conventional wiper-cooperative washing apparatus, a washing liquid is not uniformly applied onto a surface to be wiped, resulting in a spotted surface.
In view of the foregoing problems involved in such a wiper-cooperative washing apparatus, the inventor of the present invention carried out trial and error experiments over long years, and as a result, achieved the present invention.